RismadarVoice Reporters
November 9, 2026
The Ogun State Government has attributed overcrowding at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Sagamu to a sharp increase in the number of prospective corps members deployed to the state.
The explanation followed public criticism over a viral video showing graduates sleeping in congested conditions inside a multipurpose hall at the facility, popularly known as the Five-Star Camp.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, described the arrangement as temporary.
According to him, the camp ordinarily accommodates slightly more than 2,000 corps members per batch but received over 4,300 prospective corps members during the current exercise.
Akinmade explained that registration, credential verification, screening and hostel allocation were handled by NYSC officials rather than the state government.
He said prospective corps members whose registration extended into the night were temporarily accommodated in the multipurpose hall, where mattresses were provided pending the completion of screening.
The viral footage showed mattresses arranged closely together, with some prospective corps members appearing to share sleeping spaces.
The images raised concerns about overcrowding, sanitation, personal safety and the adequacy of accommodation facilities.
Figures separately reported from the NYSC’s orientation exercise indicated that 4,152 prospective corps members had registered, including 454 transferred from Lagos State.
Akinmade maintained that the Ogun State Government had continued supporting the scheme through welfare interventions.
He disclosed that the administration provided 500 mattresses for the current exercise, while the Akarigbo of Remo donated another 300 mattresses in two batches.
The governor’s aide also recalled that Abiodun recently approved ₦50,000 each for 3,050 corps members who participated in the 2026 Batch C Stream I exercise to assist with transportation expenses.
He further claimed that Ogun State had received national recognition for its administration of the NYSC programme.
However, the government’s explanation has not ended criticism of the accommodation conditions.
Human rights advocate Festus Ogun Bankole called for an investigation into the incident, raising concerns about the welfare, dignity and health of affected graduates.
Meanwhile, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Tejumade Awoleye, declined to comment when contacted by journalists.
She directed inquiries to the state coordinator or the NYSC Director-General.
The incident has renewed questions about accommodation planning and coordination between federal and state authorities during orientation exercises involving large numbers of graduates.
